The website documents my published articles, policy brief, flagship reports, book review, and data visualization project.

Policy Brief

Flagship Report

Opinion Piece

Energy and Climate Change

Debt and Trade - South Asia

Nepal Economy

International Political Economy

Short Book Review - The Intelligence Trap:

Policy Brief

I examine the effect of India’s demonetization experiment — an effort at “forced formalization” of the economy. I urge a more organic approach to formalization, pairing efforts to bring the unbanked population into the banking system with greater funding and accessibility for India’s signature employment guarantee program.

In our study, we identify key sectors of the Nepali economy and dig into the details of their performance over the period, prior to and during the crisis. We come up with a few recommendations that if GoN and other key policy stakeholders work on can help Nepal to secure a healthier post-pandemic economic recovery.

Flagship Report

The second edition of Nepal Competitiveness Index evaluates Nepal's seven provinces across 64 indicators in areas like macroeconomic stability, government framework, and quality of life. Bagmati province leads in competitiveness, while Sudurpaschim and Karnali provinces face challenges. In addition, the NCI 2024 also assesses seven provinces' digital competitiveness. The report aims to guide policymakers in fostering inclusive growth and prosperity in Nepal's all seven provinces.

The inaugural Nepal Competitiveness Index (NCI) 2022 document ranks Nepal’s seven provinces based on four environments, 11 sub-environments, and 64 indicators. The NCI is an ongoing collaborative effort of the Nepal Institute for Policy Research (NIPoRe) and the Asia Competitiveness Institute (ACI) at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy, National University of Singapore. The index will be updated regularly by incorporating new data points for the existing indicators while also adding a few more indicators to make the document more comprehensive in the future.

The Assessment of Provincial Government’s Response to COVID-19 was undertaken by Foundation and Development Management (FDM) and Nepal Institute for Policy Research (NIPoRe) primarily to understand and critically look into how the seven provinces of Nepal have handled the COVID-19 pandemic. The study analyzed provincial governments’ emergency response policies, resources, mechanism and the effectiveness of the response. Moreover, the team also looked into the coordination between federal government, provincial government and local governments in handling the crisis and identified the challenges and the gaps experienced during the management.

Himalayan Consensus Summit 2018

The HCS 2018, held on 23 and 24 March, began with a reporting of deliverables from commitments made in 2017. The HCS has become a regional convening platform bringing together some of the leading thought leaders and pioneers of social change in our region. The Summit was led by the Himalayan Consensus Institute with Nepal Economic Forum as the implementation partner.

Opinion Piece

Energy and Climate Change

Opinion: Should Nepal implement a carbon tax or carbon trading scheme?With neither a carbon tax nor a cap-and-trade scheme in place, Nepal urgently needs to introduce a carbon pricing mechanism

This article was originally published on The Third Pole under the Creative Commons BY NC ND licence.

Opinion | Nepal’s climate-gender nexusWomen disproportionately suffer from climate change due to their primary roles in securing food, water and fuel.

Opinion | A green techno-economic paradigmNepal must put more human capital to productive use to attain robust and sustainable growth.

Opinion | Harnessing Nepal’s indigenous energy sources Electrification must be promoted across all economic sectors to reduce reliance on imported fuels.

Co-author: Aabhusan Khadka

Opinion | Hydropower and South Asian integrationNepal’s hydropower potential ranks among the highest globally in terms of per capita and unit of GDP.

Co-author: Sisir Bhandari

Opinion | Renewable energy and NepalNepal should focus on making the best use of hydroelectricity and possibly hydrogen energy.

Co-author: Sisir Bhandari

Debt and Trade - South Asia

Opinion | Debt dynamics in South AsiaThe subcontinent is grappling with the dilemma of spurring growth while managing burgeoning debts.

Opinion | Connectivity via sub-regional cooperationTransport infrastructure becomes extremely important as it is the primary driver of economic growth.

Opinion | Public debt conundrumAnalysing the country's debt condition in light of its foreign exchange reserve is crucial.

Strengthening Sub-Regional Cooperation via Vehicular Movement

The BBIN MVA initiative will not only ensure trade, transport and transit facilitation across the region, but is also likely to foster regional harmony and integration by cementing strong ties between people across the BBIN countries.

Nepal Economy

Nepal’s first sovereign credit ratingFitch rating should encourage the government to create a favourable investment climate.

Opinion | Nepal’s credit guarantee potential It could channel excess liquidity into productive sectors without burdening the funders.

Opinion | Trapped in migration and remittanceIt is necessary to invest in the skills of Nepali youth to fully realise the demographic dividend.

The long viewThe advent of federalism in Nepal has planted a new seed of hope among Nepalis who expect the new form of government to usher in an era of political stability, good governance and sustainable economic growth.

Opinion | Import ban impacts in NepalThe negative consequences and long-term harms of import restrictions should not be overlooked.

Opinion | Taking Nepali tea to the worldNepal is uniquely positioned to cash in on growing demand for orthodox and speciality tea in the international market.

Nordic experiences: Challenges galoreNordic experiences: Challenges galore

Opinion | Empowering entrepreneursIt’s important to offer lower taxes or tax breaks to support the growth of MSMEs.

Co-author: Surya Kiran Yadav

A potential investorAIIB has vowed to invest in multiple infrastructure projects; Nepal should utilise this opportunity

Co-author: Sajal Mani Dhital

Opinion | Economic lessons from Rwanda Nepal can learn from Rwanda in managing a high debt-to-GDP ratio while maintaining a rapidly growing economy.

How Nepal is Shaking-Up its Economy - SpeakFreelyOver the past few years Nepal has undergone a comprehensive political transition. The Jan Andolan (People’s Movement), which rose to power…

Opinion | Job guarantee for social securityTargeted job guarantee can be an effective and equitable policy to achieve financial stability.

So much to doTourism and Nepal are synonymous yet we fail to capitalise it fully

EV policy cudgels Nepal's Economy, Climate and Reputation

Co-author: Surya Kiran Yadav

Nepal Budget for Fiscal Year 2018/19

International Political Economy

The op-ed focuses on the "Robust partnerships with the United States, strategic cooperation within the Quad framework, and collective efforts across the Indo-Pacific region drive India's transformation in the energy sector."

Opinion | Putting national interest firstNepal should learn from its neighbours that it needs to pursue an independent foreign policy.

Co-author: Abijit Sharma

Opinion | Why the UN resolution on tax mattersGlobal South countries now get a chance to voice their unique concerns on the world stage.

Opinion | Unequal vaccine distributionThe underdeveloped countries fell prey to a nexus between wealthy nations and giant firms.

China South Asia Insights Vol.05

Co-author: Abijit Sharma

Given its resources, efficiency in carrying out activities and a highly capacitated human resource, China is in a unique position to lead the economic recovery in the post pandemic world. In this context, China has a huge potential to support Nepal’s economic recovery post the pandemic. This might not only be through economic aid but also through measures like encouraging Nepali tourism and implementing its pledged project.

Nepal – Chini Bhai Bhai!The post-pandemic world is certain to be a very different one than the existing with many experts predicting the emergence of China as the de-facto global leader

Co-author: Abijit Sharma

The op-ed focuses on the complex geopolitical dynamics of the Indo-Pacific in 2023. It underscores the significance of the US-China rivalry, emphasizing its military, economic, and diplomatic dimensions. South Asia's role within this context is highlighted, emphasizing shared interests in a free Indo-Pacific and maritime security concerns.

Digitalization

Opinion | Nepal’s digital futureDigital innovation hasboosted fintech, but itsfuture depends onaddressing operational risks.

Digital Infrastructure in Nepal

Opinion | Regulatory gaps in Nepal’s fintech There is a severe lack of dedicated fintech-related education in the country.

Co-author: Umesh Rijal

Opinion | Need a unified data repositoryNepal must ensure that data is accessible, usable and actionable at all levels of government.

Opinion | Data protection gaps in fintechWhat we need is a provision requiring licensed institutions to disclose their commitment to data security.

Co-author: Umesh Rijal

Monetary Policy

Opinion | Monitoring monetary policyTaming inflation will require a coordinated approach between monetary and fiscal policies.

Opinion | The monetary policy’s upshotsThe depreciation of the Nepali rupee versus the US dollar will cost us more while repaying foreign loans.

Opinion | Making the monetary policy workThe private and banking sectors must collaborate to increase domestic production.

US interest rate hikes trample on developing countriesWithout urgent structural reforms, rising US interest rates will continue to imperil the economic circumstances of developing economies.

This article was originally published on East Asia Forum under the Creative Commons licence.

Inflation

Co-author: Nitin Nair

Inflating the Inflation Debate: Part 1As Inflation has been on a continuous rise, with little or no sign of slowing down momentarily, the debate on it is finally heating up. Basic necessities such as groceries and gas are getting more expensive, putting strain on peoples’ savings accounts and mental health, particularly among the low-incom…

Co-author: Nitin Nair

Inflating the Inflation Debate: Part 2We discussed theories of inflation and whether inflation is necessarily bad for the economy in the Part 1 of the inflation debate. Recently the US Federal Reserve (Fed) stepped-up its fight against inflation after consumer prices increased by 8.7%. On June 15, 2022, The Fed announced…

Book Review

Because there are Sherpas‘Sherpa’ provides unique insights about several generations of Sherpas and how they view mountaineering as a profession.

SHERPA: Stories of Life and Death from the Forgotten Guardians of Everest

The authors’ phenomenal storytelling acumen shows dark and bright stories, which help readers understand that Sherpas have different mountains to climb daily. Not many books have been written covering the human aspect of the lives of Sherpas, and this book brings such stories to the forefront. There is no doubt that climbing is in Sherpas’ blood, be it daily struggles, climbing peaks, or dragging bodies and litter down from the high-range mountains. The book has the potential to reach a larger global audience not just because it’s related to Nepal’s much-talked subject but has brilliantly portrayed a moving human side of people performing the world’s deadliest job.

Authors: Pradeep Bashyal and Ankit Babu Adhikari

Publisher: Octopus Publishing Group Ltd./ Hachette, UK

Short Book Review - The Intelligence Trap:

In a world where intelligence is so often tied to success, David Robson's "The Intelligence Trap" brings a refreshing and much-needed perspective. It explores the shocking ways our intelligence can sometimes stand in the way of good decision-making.

Author: David Robson
Publisher: Hodder Paperbacks